07/01/2026
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Sometimes you should listen to that little voice in your head… 😂🐝
Yesterday was HOT. Like don’t mess with the bees hot.
I went out to check on my girls like I always do and got the urge to just crack the top and make sure everything was okay.
That little voice in my head said, “Don’t do it. It’s hot. They’re probably going to be testy.”
Did I listen? Nope.
I popped the top… and they were as calm as could be.
So I pulled a frame.
Still calm.
A few more frames…
Still calm.
Next thing you know, I’m digging through the bottom box thinking, “Well, this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.”
Then came the mistake…
I went to put the top box back on, but the girls had gathered all along the top rail. I didn’t want to squish anyone, so I gently brushed them aside.
Remember… no suit and no smoker, because I wasn’t supposed to be doing this in the first place.
Brush… grab the box… bees right back.
Brush… grab the box… bees right back.
Third time’s the charm, right?
Wrong. 🤣
One swipe later and suddenly it was FULL ATTACK MODE.
They were swarming me, chasing me, and stinging my hand. I finally backed away thinking, “Okay girls… message received.”
I gave them a few minutes to settle down and thought I’d try again…
Big mistake.
The second I walked back through the gate they came after me again. More stings to my hand, two to my ankle, and now they’re chasing me across the yard while I’m pulling stingers out.
At that point I admitted defeat.
I got my suit on, lit the smoker, went back out, and within a minute my sweet girls were right back to themselves. I got the hive closed up, told them I was sorry 😆, and headed inside to lick my wounds.
Changed my clothes…
…and guess what?
One little hitchhiker had ridden all the way into the house inside my pants. 🤦♀️
There I was standing in my underwear with a loose honey bee flying around my bedroom. I already knew several girls had died because of my poor decisions, so there was no way I was letting this one die too.
I grabbed a queen clip, caught her, and walked her back home where she belonged.
Meanwhile… my poor hand looked like a baseball mitt. My ring finger and index finger were so swollen I couldn’t bend them, and my ankle felt like someone had driven a blade through it.
I tried several things, but nothing worked as well as fresh plantain and lemon balm from my bee garden. I crushed the leaves, rubbed them right on the stings, and within a short time I noticed the swelling and discomfort starting to calm down.
So yesterday’s lesson?
✔️ Listen to the little voice.
✔️ Wear the suit when that voice tells you to.
✔️ And always grow medicinal herbs near your hives… because sometimes your bees remind you exactly why you planted them. 💚🐝🌿
